The Nigeria Police have stated that their case against social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely recognized as VeryDarkMan (VDM), is still ongoing.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, adding that the delayed release of the controversial social media influencer from detention was based on a court order.
It had been reported that VeryDarkMan was arrested by the police over claims that they had received a series of petitions against his conduct online.
SaharaReporters had reported that #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, noted that VeryDarkMan was being held by the police because the leadership of the police force felt he should be punished for accusing them of engaging in same-sex relationships.
But the force spokesperson said the blogger was detained following several petitions and counter-petitions against him. He reminded Nigerians that the Cybercrime Prohibition Act, 2015 was active and could be effectively applied to arrest and prosecute anyone when necessary.
He said, “I know he has been having issues – petitions and counter-petitions – but one thing I want Nigerians to know is that many of us are not aware that we have a law concerning cybercrime-related issues and cyberstalking and cyberbullying.
“I always say it and Nigerians should know that Cybercrime Prohibition Act, 2015 is potent. It is not impotent. It is active and we are going to enforce the law.
“If anybody does anything – tweets a post or publicises anything against me and I think I’m not so okay with it, I will take it up against you.”
Asked if petitions against Very Dark Man came from police officers because he accused the Inspector General of Police and other senior police officers of refusing to arrest popular cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, commonly known as Bobrisky because they were sleeping with the socialite, the Force PRO said VDM did not say anything against the IGP.
Adejobi said, “No, he didn’t say anything against the IG, he said some things against the DIG and it is a personal thing, not even an official thing. If he knows any DIG that is doing that, he who alleges must prove in law.”
Asked why it took long before he was released from detention, the Force spokesperson said, “This time around we don’t detain people unreasonably.
“Any action we take in the police is legalised. If he had been detained, it must have been on court order. It is not that we detain somebody for more than 24 hours or 48 hours and we do not have the legal backing.
“I was told that there was a court order to detain him because they (police) were actually trying to torchlight certain things and to do proper investigation.
“He is on bail; the case is not over. To release somebody on bail does not mean the end of the case. It is to have your liberty to move around. The case is still on.”
Adejobi said that the police are trying to educate people that the 2015 Cybercrime Prohibition Act is very active
“And we need to be mindful of what we do. You have the liberty to write whatever you want to write. You have the liberty as a journalist to publish whatever you want to publish but have facts,” he said.
